About half of the 63 artists selected to participate in the fifth annual Joshua Tree National Park Art Exposition are from the Morongo Basin. The jurors for the exhibition viewed 290 artworks submitted by 120 artists from California and around the world. To be included in the art show, artwork must depict or be inspired by Joshua Tree National Park. Artwork ranged from oil and acrylic paintings, watercolors, mixed media, photography, ceramics, assemblage, and metal sculpture. One piece of art from each of the 63 artists will be displayed at the historic 29 Palms Art Gallery from September 1 to October 1. An awards reception will be held at the gallery on Saturday, September 16, from 5 to 8 p.m.
A complete list of the artists selected:
Seven out-of-state artists were selected: Pam Ambrosio of Tucson, Arizona; Chin J. Banham of Las Vegas, Nevada; James Bush (Remi JaBuh) of Scottsdale, Arizona; Shelly Hull of Denver, Colorado; Alexandra Taggart of Santa Fe, New Mexico; Katherine Tonnessen of Vashon, Washington; and Kim Zarney of Cleveland, Ohio.
Artists from the Morongo Basin include: Marcia Geiger of Landers, and Joshua Tree artists Raini Armstrong, Gerhard Kammer, Eileen Kaniefski, Jessie Keylon, Alane Levinsohn, Alita Van Vliet, and photographers Doug Dolde, Mitch Miller, Jim Smart, and John Van Vliet.
Twentynine Palms artists selected are Penelope Benson-Wright, Chuck Caplinger, Marilyn Fernald, Lisa Manifold, and Elisabeth Pollnow.
Yucca Valley artists in this year’s exhibition are Hannah Campbell, Janis Commentz, Timothy Hearsum, Rossana Jeran, Ed Keesling, Daniel Lee, Ilona Mercier, Darlene Morris, Esther Shaw, Heather Sprague, Travis Usher, Nichole Vikdal, and Krista Wargo.
